Use of a long-acting gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist for treatment of steroid cell tumors of the ovary

Objective: To report a complete serologic response in a 50-year-old woman who received long-acting gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist (GnRH-A) therapy for steroid cell tumor of the ovary, not otherwise specified. Design: Case report. Setting: University hospital-based reproductive biology unit. Patient(s): A 50-year-old female patient exhibited persistent elevation of T(>2.0 ng/mL) after surgery for steroid cell tumor of the ovary, not otherwise specified, stage IIA for 3 months. This elevation suggested the presence of some residual active tumor. Intervention(s): All tumor evaluations, including those for tumor markers, a thorough physical examination, imaging studies, and evaluations of nuclear medicine studies were negative except for elevated serum T levels. The patient was treated with GnRH-a between the fourth month and sixth month postoperatively. Main Outcome Measure(s): Serum levels of T and tumor survey. Result(s): The serum T levels returned to normal limits after administration of the first does of GnRH-a. Follow-up of tumor survey was negative. The patient was alive and free of disease 26 months after treatment wit GnRH-a. Conclusion(s): GnRH-a may be an alternative choice as adjuvant therapy for managing a persistent or recurrent hormone-producing steroid cell tumor of the ovary. (C) 1998 by American Society for Reproductive Medicine.